In a follow-up study, the researchers found that they were walking in shallow water, and that they included children between the ages of 5 and 12, as well as adults.
Utah, First Published Jul 29, 2022, 11:49 AM IST
Archaeologists have discovered 12,000-year-old human footprints. Scientists have discovered human footprints in the Utah desert in the United States. About 88 human footprints still lie there, indelible. The footprints are expected to help researchers learn about the lives of people who lived on Earth thousands of years ago.
The footprints were found on land under the Air Force’s Utah Testing and Training Range. The research team at Cornell University worked behind this. The footprints were discovered by Thomas Urban of the university. That and those footprints had something special. These footprints disappeared and reappeared with fluctuations in the humidity level of the atmosphere. Scientists assume these footprints are from the last ice age.
In a follow-up study, the researchers found that they were walking in shallow water, and that they included children between the ages of 5 and 12, as well as adults. Although the landscape is dry now, at that time it was covered with water. Daron Duke of the Far Western Anthropological Research Group identified the ages of the owners of the footprints. It takes time for researchers to figure out who the footprints are left behind. Researchers plan to bring Native Americans to these sites and seek help from them. The research team believes that local people’s views are very important.
Utah is the second driest state in the United States. Here, 33 percent is desert. But thousands of years ago it was not drought prone but a wetland. Over time, the changes in the terrain have kept the footprints intact. Their footprints were imprinted in the underwater sand. Although the top of the footprint was later covered by sand, the footprints remained embedded in the mud beneath. They remained intact for thousands of years as they were covered by sand.
However, this research team is not the first to discover this. The US Air Force had previously conducted a survey of the area. At that time they found these footprints. After this, Thomas Urban of Cornell University and his team were called. Charred bird bones, stone tools and tobacco dating back 12,300 years were found at the site in 2016.
Last Updated Jul 29, 2022, 11:49 AM IST
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